Over 300 private engineering colleges may be asked not to undertake admission process for the academic session of 2018-2019. According to HRD sources, the institutes would be asked to close operations as engineering colleges.

Reason: These institutions had less than 30 per cent enrollment for five consecutive years. According to a report in TOI, over 150 have less than 20 per cent enrollment.

Moreover, a senior HRD official said another 500 engineering colleges may come under the scanner for not being able to fill up seats.

The All India Council for Technical Education has asked all such colleges to consider alternate options like converting to science colleges or vocational education institutions. The matter will be finalised by end of December 2017.

There are around 3,000 private engineering colleges offering undergraduate courses in India, with an intake capacity of 13.56 lakh. Of these, there are around 800 engineering colleges whose enrolment percentage is less than 50%.

In case of the suspended degrees of the concerned colleges, an examination will be conducted by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) before January 15, 2018. In case a student fails to clear the exam, his degree will automatically be cancelled.

Students would only get two attempts to qualify the examination. AICTE is yet to release the notification about the examination that will be conducted before January 15, 2018.